Sunday, April 6, 2014

As you must have heard, the Republicans are the party of the
rich. The Democrats are the party of the poor people and the middle class.

If you don’t believe me, just ask any Democrat.

Being a Democrat means hating the rich, especially if they
are named Koch.

Each time the Supreme Court opens the door to more campaign contributions,
liberal Democrats are outraged. Now, they tell us, rich Republicans will be
buying elections.

At the same time, Democrats are doing their best—with some
considerable Republican support—to offer amnesty and citizenship to more illegal
immigrants. In this way they will assemble an army of the poor to counter the
effect of big Republican money.

But I digress.

When pondering the question of money in politics, especially
of big money in politics, it is useful to have some facts at one’s disposal.

And
contrary to the hand-wringing on the left about the Supreme Court's 5-4
McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission ruling Wednesday,

Democrats
far outspend Republicans on elections. It isn't even close.

According
to OpenSecrets.org, from 1989 to 2014 rich donors gave Democrats $1.15 billion
— $416 million more than the $736 million given to the GOP. Among the top 10
donors to both parties, Democrat supporters outspent Republican supporters
2-to-1.

But what
about the villainous Koch brothers, those conservative plutocrats supposedly
seeking to control American politics? They rank 59th on the list of big givers
— behind 18 unions and No. 1 Act Blue, the massive left-wing fund raiser that
gives only to Democrats.

Indeed,
a recent book, "The New Leviathan," says donations to Democrats
outstrip those to Republicans 7-to-1. How can this be? Democrat support soars
when you include unions, universities, superPACs, nonprofits, left-wing
interest groups, and — ready for this? — Wall Street (which overwhelmingly
favors Democrats).

So
Democrats don't really want to restrain money in politics. Just the money that
goes to Republicans.

From Bill Gates to Warren Buffett to Wall Street bankers to Silicon Valley tech oligarchs... the big money in this country is more and more concentrated in the hands of Democrats. At least, they've been getting their money's worth.

It makes me uncomfortable. The ideological fiction the Democrats had me believing made me much more comfortable. I thought I was on the side of the plutocrats, big corporate money, big tobacco, big religion, big ______, and everything else. Now I'm left to feel small.